HOW HAS THE PANDEMIC CHANGED OUR CONSUMPTION PATTERNS ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO ENTERTAINMENT AND INFORMATION?

The answer is simple. Podcasting which in its most successful form, offers perfectly blended infotainment has not just survived the pandemic successfully but thrived because consumers want the information, comfort and familiarity their favourite podcasters offer.

At Timbre Media, we have been meeting the increased demand for corporate podcasts and have been customising infotainment that different companies want their employees to consume. As work becomes increasingly home-based, we discovered that more and more employees like to accommodate podcasts in their daily schedule.

The lack of socialisation and absence of outdoor and recreational activities have made us all lean on audio-visual content more than ever before and podcasts in particular blend easily with our other activities at home. Whether we are working, exercising, cleaning the house or cooking, an engaging podcast is just the right ingredient in the mix of our multi-tasking existence.

We at Timbre know for a fact that the podcasting industry is growing fast because of its inherent versatility and its ability to cater to diverse infotainment needs.

Whether you want some mental health tips or want to dive deep in the latest updates about vaccine development or want to know how the hospitality, film and aviation industries are faring in the post COVID-19 world , or are curious about the ramifications of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Coke snub, we have the perfect podcast for you, complete with statistics, trivia and human interest stories.

The point is that on demand audio infotainment is expanding very profitably thanks to its flexibility and easy availability. The psychological comfort that listeners derive from voices that seem to be speaking to and of them cannot be undermined either.

We are learning that more than ever before, companies want podcasts that don’t just focus on work centric subjects but also on topics like proper nutrition, the importance of work-life balance and mental health.

As our homes become central to our existence, we have learnt that a lot more people also want to hear podcasts about gardening, home design, cooking and destressing hobbies.

Over the last year or so, Timbre has also stepped up to meet the increasing demand for audio books and even classic stories. On an average day, a client can demand a podcast based on the state of the country's financial markets or want us to decode and break down a complex geopolitical news story. We are thankfully up to the challenge.

According to newspaper India was already the world’s third largest podcast listening market in 2020 and as per a PwC report, the number of listeners is going to rise to 17.61 crore in 2023. Writer Smitha Verma said in the piece that India’s music, radio and podcasts market could hit upwards of Rs 10,000 crore by 2023.

She also cited a 2019 report by Deloitte, according to which globally podcasts could be a USD 3.3 billion-plus business by 2025. We quote her, “The growth of podcasts, while not displacing TV and print, is no doubt challenging established communication mediums with a rise in revenue. With global music giants such as Apple and Spotify entering the business, the global podcasting market will increase by 30 percent.” The piece also pointed out how, “Journalists, doctors, radio jockeys, entrepreneurs, authors, nutritionists, influencers, comedians, life coaches—almost everyone worth a voice is uploading podcasts. While the fly-by-night operators fizzle out after a few uploads, some gather a large fan-base.”

The article further quotes Mae Thomas of Made in India who said that podcasting is considered to be the new real estate for anyone looking for refreshing ways to communicate. Well, Timbre has always been at the forefront of every communication revolution and podcasting is no exception.

We agree with Smitha that content is always the king and audio isn’t any different. The secret behind our success is encapsulated in two words. 'Connection’ and ‘relatability.' And our clients appreciate this approach as they entrust us with the responsibility of creating engaging content for their companies during this unprecedented time